Security forces in North Waziristan killed nine militants in a set of intelligence-based operations, security sources said on Thursday. The sources named the groups as Fitna al-Khwarij.
The raids covered the Palangzai, Nadeem Kot and Kot Khazri areas of the district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Several hideouts were destroyed, the sources said, and troops took a large quantity of weapons and ammunition from the militants. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the forces for the operation.
Part of a busy week
The day before, security sources said, forces had killed 18 militants they described as India-backed in multiple operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Thirteen of those died when troops hit hideouts in North Waziristan and adjoining areas. A separate operation against Fitna al-Hindustan in Mastung killed five.
Violence has been climbing. Pakistan recorded 225 militant attacks across the country in September 2026, up from 199 in August, an increase of 13%, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an independent think tank in Islamabad that tracks anti-state violence. It was the third month in a row in which attacks rose, and the highest monthly count in 12 years.
Officials in Islamabad say cross-border incidents, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, have risen sharply since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.
The dispute with Kabul
Pakistan has repeatedly pressed Kabul to stop militant organisations from using Afghan territory to attack Pakistan. Islamabad maintains that the Afghan Taliban authorities have not acted effectively against the groups behind assaults on Pakistani security forces and civilians.
Several rounds of talks have produced no settlement. Militants operating from Afghan soil remain the main point of contention between the two governments.
